The AVCS History

The Almaden Valley Youth Counseling Service (AVYCS) was founded in 1980 based on a community concern that adequate counseling services were not available for youth of the community. This was in large part due to the withdrawal of school counselors on school campuses due to Proposition 13 but the final impetus was two tragic teen suicides.

AVYCS opened its doors in the basement of Joint Ventures Church with a part-time director/counselor, moving to its current office location on Crown Boulevard in 1985. In 1999, AVYCS changed its name to Almaden Valley Counseling Service (AVCS). To date, nine directors have followed serving youth, adults, families, and couples by providing counseling and support for high-risk kids and teens, strengthening families, parenting classes, couples in crisis, on-site school-based therapy (in over 40 schools), older adults with loss, and other mental health needs.

Many AVCS counselors have a Master’s Degree in Counseling or Clinical Psychology and are pursuing their hours toward licensure as Marriage and Family Therapists through the AVCS associateship training program. Other AVCS counselors are trainees who are providing services with us in order to complete their Master’s Degree in Counseling or Clinical Psychology. The supervised clinical experience that both types of counselors need to complete the state-mandated licensor requirements is provided by AVCS. Recently rental space has been opened up to licensed therapists for their individual practices at the AVCS offices.

In the earlier years, much fundraising was done by the Auxiliary along with grants received from Almaden Valley Women’s Club, IBM, Santa Clara County Dept. of Social Services, Xilinx, El Camino Health, Kaiser Permanente, Sharks Foundation, and Cisco to support AVCS and its growth in providing mental health service to the community. The Auxiliary’s fundraising played a big part in earlier years not only to provide operating funds for the agency but to bring the community together through the Snow Ball fashion show luncheon, dinner and tea, the Almaden Times Classic 5k and 10k run, Home for he Holidays home tour, and Santa’s Breakfast. Today most funding is provided through school counseling contracts, client fees, grants from corporations, foundations, and other organizations, and individual donations as AVCS serves hundreds of students, individuals, families, and couples throughout Santa Clara County.

Our original mission was to provide counseling services, free of charge, to residents of Almaden Valley. Currently, there are no geographical boundaries and a sliding fee scale ($35-$95) was developed with our mission to provide affordable services to ALL ages ~ to support and promote personal growth, positive family relationships, and emotional well-being.

“If you have not heard of Almaden Valley Counseling Service please look them up. They have been quietly helping youth and families with mental health and social issues for 35 years. This great nonprofit spends their dollars wisely and helps over 1800 youth and families annually. It was my honor to recognize their work today.”
–Johnny Khamis, San Jose City Councilmember (2015)